Mazel Tov! Bar and Bat Mitzvah Dance Trends

Monday

Feb 25, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 25, 2008 at 3:08 PM

The popularity of Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and even the trends of the nightclub scene have filtered down to the bar mitzvah circuit. “One of the great things about the dance shows is that it has made it cool for teenagers to dance again. Teens are dancing more than I have seen in the past 10 years,” says Steven Siegal owner of Siegal Productions in Newton.

Maria T. Olia

Small groups of teenagers huddle together — the girls wearing pretty party dresses giggle nervously; the boys, almost all dressed in blue blazers, button down shirts and khakis, look at their feet.

“Let’s get this party started,” shouts the emcee. And with a blast of high-energy music the bat-mitzvah girl enters and performs a highly choreographed dance routine alongside a duo of professional dancers in the style of Dancing with the Stars. The guests are wowed.

Later in the evening there will be Big Band tunes, disco oldies, and dancing to the hora. A bar mitzvah (for boys) or bat mitzvah (for girls) is the coming of age celebration for Jewish 13-year-olds. After the religious service at the temple there is usually a reception.There’s a lot of energy in a crowd of seventh-grade kids, so many of these celebrations turn into a non-stop teenage dance party.

The popularity of Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and even the trends of the nightclub scene have filtered down to the bar mitzvah circuit.

“One of the great things about the dance shows is that it has made it cool for teenagers to dance again. Teens are dancing more than I have seen in the past 10 years,” says Steven Siegal owner of Siegal Productions in Newton.

Many parents hire packages from entertainment companies for their child’s bar mitzvah party that include a DJ, an emcee, and dancers who can teach the kids the latest MTV-style dance moves.

“There is no doubt that DJ music is the way to go- thirteen year olds want to dance to the hottest music, exactly the way they are used to hearing it” says McGrail. DJ’s can even provide edited versions of the latest songs so that Mom isn’t embarrassed.

Line dances like YMCA, Cotton-Eyed Joe and the Macarena are perennially popular for this age group. “And group dance lessons for songs like “Crank Dat Soulja Boy” and the “Cha Cha Slide” are almost always requested as an ice-breaker activity for this age” says Siegal.

Enthusiastic dance-offs like those in the dance shows are all the rage. “Our dancers will teach the kids the choreography and then the kids will face –off; boys versus girls or camp friends versus school friends” says McGrail.

Another hot trend? Kids can pretend they are the next American Idol when they make a music video with their friends, dancing along with lip synch karaoke. And the video game Dance Dance Revolution, known as DDR, where kids compete head-to-head against their friends and follow the dance moves on a video screen is another frequently requested activity for this crowd.

Killer bar-mitzvah parties often feature the latest multimedia technology. Elevated light- up dance risers are really big says Siegal. And club-like video screen walls along with a roving camera that show a live feed of the action on the dance floor make a memorable party. Siagel says that “the cameras can capture the excitement of the event. Thirteen year-olds love seeing themselves dancing with all their friends on the big screen.”

Maria Olia is the mother of three teenage boys and a preteen girl. When she was thirteen, Saturday Night Fever was it. She can still do the hustle.

Community Info

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Lake News Online ~ 918 N. Business Route 5, Camdenton, MO 65020 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service